Wednesday, 23 November 2011

I have been on a bit of a high tonight. Text JP out of the blue to see if the guys had any games planned mid week (usually I am working and can't make it) and I hit the jackpot!!! The guys had arranged a 2 night battle at the 'D' mans new house (10mm Naps Peninsular). Thankfully I was welcome to come along and the 1st night was great fun!!! Pics to come!!!

Anyway I returned pretty late but inspired and decided to sit down and get my wee guys finished and here they are.

I'm well chuffed with them in the end as I have been fitting them in the odd hour here and there and I have to be honest and say I wasn't really challenged with them. The Army Painter broke the back of them and after that I just felt they were pretty much complete. The weird thing is the AP kind of fools you. You paint the base coats of the figure then apply the AP and leave it to dry and then you go back and use another coat and then highlight those colours. So you really are applying 2 or 3 shades and it doesn't feel like it because after the AP is applied you feel as if the figure is ready to game with.
Does that sound stupid?

I felt the detail on the edge of the flag was poor so I have painted over it until a later date when I will either handpaint it (or maybe the Flags for the Lads guys will bring out an 1812 Saxon set and save me the hassle?).

The wee sapper turned out not too bad. if I look close in at him I would say his head sits too far up and should be more into the collar. I tried different Saxon heads and this was the 1 that best fitted.

So who are these guys anyway? Well I did think I was painting Prinz Clemens regiment from the sources I used but it would appear these guys (green facings with white metal buttons) are Von Low which is fine as I had them down to paint anyway.

Will I be painting any more Saxons, Definitely! I have 3 more line battalions, a grenadier battalion, light battalion and also a foot artillery battery to do.

Question is what will I paint next?

Anyone have any suggestions on what figures they would like to see painted?

Tuesday, 22 November 2011

I know I said that I wouldn't be posting anymore work in progress pics until they were all based and finished but I think it will be another week or 2 before I get the chance to finish them due to work (and decorating before Christmas commitments, remember if the wife asks you ain't seen me painting wee men!!!). So I decided on 1 more WIP set of pics as I just got them based up.

Loads of finishing to do:another coat of PVA, earth brown then dry brush lighter on the sand. Then I have to work at finshing off each individual base. I have left a lot of buttons and highlights to the last plus a few corrections on details, drummers wings etc (However they are now a unit and all based up ;0).

My wee sapper dude, very pleased with him and over all well happy with the AP method for painting white.

Oh and 1 last point . . . Saxons Rock!! I'll definitely be doing a good few more.

Thursday, 17 November 2011

OK last post of the Saxons until I get them all finished off and based up, However I wanted to share my latest little piece of madness!!!

Sometimes a month will pass or maybe 3 without any little stars floating about my head but surprisingly recently I have had a few. Been looking around the Calpe site and also at Von Peter's website to try and get some inspiration for my own Saxons and here is what I came up with, a little sapper with calfskin shako cover and a little bit of conversion work. And this is after I decided that I was going to bump through my Saxons!!!

It all started with an AB Saxon foot officer in greatcoat that didn't quite fit in with the rest of his pals and as I didn't have any marching infantry spares I had to find something to fill the gap. I had dropped the idea of converting a sapper for these guys a few months back but then after seeing the Calpe 1 it reminded me that I had a few spare French infantry sapper that I didn't need.

At 1st I thought I would just file the original head and add some green stuff and he would be done. Unfortunately it would appear that the Saxons didn't sport a massive beard and also wore the standard shako. I have a few spare flag guys so I swapped his head (drilled it and pin it) and added trouser, changed the apron as well as adding collar, side burns and clipped the eppaulettes., not perfect but he will do just fine. I only wish I could get a cast of 4 or 5 more to save me doing it all again for the next battalion!!!

Just encase you thought I was joking about getting stuck into these guys here they are all in their different stages. If I hadn't got sidetracked with my wee pal they would be all AP'd.

A little comparison shot, I went with a deeper gold for the second batch and it worked out much better. I think once highlighted it will look good. Also there are a number of figures who don't have shako cords and I think with the next battalion I will add calfskin covers to their shakos.

Monday, 14 November 2011

Been feeling like a kid again since trying out the army painter last night. I have the day off and have spent most of it decorating (and if the wife asks that is what I have been doing all day ;0). The past hour I gave in and managed to finish off my four Saxon test figures for the Prinz Clemens.

Big apology right out for the poor pictures, I will get that sorted over the coming months. Just wanted to say how pleased I am with my wee guys.

I decided to go with the Foundry Austrian white mid tone to repaint the uniform after AP and I am happy with that and then a final little highlight with the light white (you can't really make it out from my pics).

I will have to be more careful with my base coats as the army painter doesn't seem to be as forgiving on 15mm Naps. Not sure if it makes any difference at all to highlighting the flesh again after using the AP? I highlighted the cheek bones, nose etc of this officer ut he looks exactly like the others who didn't get the highlight. Also forgot to highlight the officers hat and boots with dark grey.

Also I think I will go down a shade for the sword blades and epaulettes etc so as my final highlight stands out better. Woodwork I will do the opposite and go lighter as the AP works best on them.

Still not sure 100% about my green for this regiment and trying to dull it down after the AP isn't so easy (something for me to think about). Really important to file/cut away any cast lines as they would stand out a mile with the AP.

Overall, very happy with my test and I recon if the figures are prepared and based up ready to paint I think I could get a battalion AP'd in a day and maybe finish it off the next (basing would another story though).

Now all I have to do is find a day!!!

A huge thanks to everyone who has took the interest to check out my blog over the past year and to all the new folk who have followed it. Great to know there are loads of people who have a similar interest in Naps. And again thanks to all your comments!!!

Sunday, 13 November 2011

Well I have jumped again, I have been keen to start my Saxons for a very, very long time and I've had it in the back of my mind how I was going to do them. I plan on not spending as much time on them as I do with my other armies (especially as my free time is very limited at the moment) and with my brother's army painter exploits I decided that this was the path I would take. (army painter on 15mm AB Naps, Can he be serious I hear you say!!! Well yeah but just as a wee test to see if it works out) .

The only thing to work out was what shade of army painter (I decided on dark tone) and what colours to use for whites (Foundry white shade and I have a feeling I should have went with the mid tone!).

Anyway I blocked in the colours (missed a couple of details and maybe the green is too bright) and painted on the AP (hard to control the stuff when it is dipped) and I have to say I am really pleased with the results.

It took about 25 mins to paint these four and that isn't at all bad, and once dry I will be painting in all the main detail I have missed, a couple of highlights on the white plus I'll try and dull down the green.

Still I am pretty chuffed with the result as they look not too bad for the time I spent on them!!! Will I be doing all my figures with army painter from now on? Na I doubt it, but it does look to be a handy tool to get some wee men painted up ASAP!

HELLO AND WELCOME

Like most figure painters and wargamers I have a large stash of unpainted lead hidden around my house and the way I see it I maybe have 15 to 20 good years of painting left in me. My goal is to get 1/2 of this mountain finished. My blogs will be a record of my efforts.